Congressional Sex Scandals in History Media Feeding Frenzies In Our Time By Ken Rudin Special to washingtonpost.com As the House prepares for a possible investigation of sex-related allegations concerning President Clinton, it's worth taking a look back at how Congress has dealt with the frequent charges of sexual misconduct by its own members.

In its May 23, 1976, editions, The Washington Post quoted Elizabeth Ray as saying that she was a secretary for the House Administration Committee, headed by Hays, despite the fact that I cant type, I cant file, I cant even answer the phone.

That is different old Fag Barney can't be touched he is a democrat from a democrat sate that will continue voting in these SOB'S..The democrats take good care of their perverts didn't you see how well The Pervert and Chief was talked about on every TV network..I saw the good old boys club come out on the white house lawn and say what a great guy Billie is..

I didn't see the scandal about that Democrat (Gary something?) who was actually having affairs with young male pages.

Gerry Studds

Gerry Eastman Studds (born May 12, 1937) is a retired American politician, born in Mineola, New York. He served as a Democratic Congressman for Massachusetts from 1973 until 1996. He was the first openly homosexual member of the U.S. Congress and, more generally, the first openly gay national politician in the U.S.

Congressional page sex scandal

Studds is remembered chiefly for his role in the Congressional page sex scandal in 1983, when he and Representative Dan Crane were censured by the House of Representatives for separate sexual relationships with a minor  in Studds's case, a 1973 relationship with a 17-year-old male congressional page.

During the course of the House Ethics Committee's investigation, Studds publicly acknowledged his homosexuality, a disclosure that, according to a Washington Post article, "apparently was not news to many of his constituents." Studds stated in an address to the House, "It is not a simple task for any of us to meet adequately the obligations of either public or private life, let alone both, but these challenges are made substantially more complex when one is, as I am, both an elected public official and gay."

As the House read their censure of him, Studds turned his back and ignored them. Later, at a press conference with the former page standing beside him, the two stated that what had happened between them was nobody's business but their own.

Wilbur Mills was a powerful Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Arkansas.

Wilbur Daigh Mills was born on 24 May 1909 in Kensett, White County, Arkansas. Mills attended public schools and later graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. He obtained his law degree from Harvard University and was admitted to the bar in 1933.

Mills served in the House of Representatives from 1939 to 1977 and served as the chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, a post he held longer than any other in American history. Mills was often termed "the most powerful man in Washington" during his tenure.

Mills served as County Judge of White County, Arkansas during the depression years and began a county-funded program to pay medical bill, prescription drugs, and hospital treatment for the poor.

His accomplishments in Congress included playing a large role in the creation of the Medicare program. Mills initially opposed the program but eventually shepherded it through Congress. Mills was also acknowledged as the primary tax expert in the Congress and a voice for the Tax Reform Act of 1969. Mills favored a conservative fiscal policy and a balanced budget but also supported various liberal programs.

Mills ran for President of the United States in the 1972 Democratic primaries.

But Mills is best known for being disgraced by scandal after a drunken incident on October 7, 1974. Mills was caught cheating on his wife. He chased after and won the heart of a stripper named Anabell Battistella, who was also known as "Fanne Foxe, the Argentine Firecracker." Poor Mills. In the 1970's, voters did not care for promiscuous behavior on the part of adulterous womanizing politicians. When Mills, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, got drunk and drove his car into the Washington Tidal Basin while in the company of Ms. Foxe, well, it caused a real scandal. It was OK for politicians to act like cats in heat, as long as they did not get caught on camera. Indeed, one of Wilbur Mills problems was that his questioning had been caught on camera. Mills, so used to lying like a politician, panicked when he could not lie his way out of the situation. Mills's initial, glib comment on his behavior was, "Don't go out with foreigners who drink Champagne." Later, his more sober explanation was, "I drank booze, and I mixed the drinks with some highly addictive drugs." He eventually revised his explanation like a true politician: "I now believe that the fatigue and pressure built up by years of dedicated work for my constituents and for the whole nation had an impact on me far beyond what I suspected," Mills said. The Washington press corp was generally very liberal and tolerant of adultery. Reporter Nancy Dickerson never reported until after he died, that a drunken Wilbur Mills took her to see stripper Fanne Foxe perform and declared, "I own her." Liberal and tolerant, unless there was a good picture available.

Roger Mudd, who used to work at CBS News, said of it, "The best thing about this story is, it can only get worse."

Mills was questioned by Washington, D.C. Police at 2am and found to be intoxicated. His face was bloody from a scuffle with Fox. When police approached the car, Foxe leapt from the car and into the Tidal Basin. While his office denied that he had a drinking problem, Jack Anderson reported that - 'if his staff said, "He can't speak with you now, he's on the floor", it was never clear if Mills was on the floor of the House or the floor of his office.' - In the '74 election a month after the scandal, Mills had a challenger, who used the slogan, "If you like liquor, sex and thrills, cast your vote for Wilbur Mills". Mills won anyway, but with only 59% in a heavily Democrat district. Within weeks, Mills appeared on a Boston stage carousing with Foxe, apparently intoxicated. Faced with an uprising among House Democrats, Mills was forced to resign as Ways and Means chairman, and in 1976 he announced he would not seek another term, ending his 38-year House career.

Wilbur Mills died on 2 May 1992 in Searcy, Arkansas. Mills is buried at Kensett Cemetery in Kensett, Arkansas.

Various schools, highways, and other structures are named after Mills in Arkansas.

13
posted on 10/01/2006 9:50:41 AM PDT
by Henchster
(Free Republic - the BEST site on the web!)

The Post, while reporting the Studds sex with an underaged male page, couldn't resist the urge to equate it with a republican, Dan Crane, having sex with an underaged female page. Consequently, they lumped them together and listed Studds second, causing you to miss the fact that he, Studds, was listed.

In their PC world, sex between men and boys is as natural as say, sex in the oval office between a president and an intern.

Haven't the left been trying to out Foley for some time as a homosexual? This is just a notch higher.

Meanwhile, hasn't Hollywood forgiven Roman Polanski for doping a raping a young teen? Haven't they forgiven Scott Ritter for his multiple attempts to meet minors he solicited online?

I won't defend his actions. I want the same unit of measure applied, and that includes to Ted Kennedy who contributed to the death of an aide by sitting on his hands and not calling the police to report the accident. May have still been too late for her to survive but no one can wait until the next day to be rescued from a submerged car. That is shameless. Consider the severity and then get back to me on Foley.

22
posted on 10/01/2006 11:13:45 AM PDT
by weegee
(Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")

Being a first time poster, I hope I don't get excoriated, but I had to chime in on this.

I agree whole heartedly that Foley deserves everything he gets from this. The problem I'm seeing is the partisan bickering over it. Yes, he is a Republican, but looking over the history here it become obvious to most casual observer that the Democrats are the worse offenders.

Including Foley, not only do the Democrats have more offenders (14 vs 9) but they continually re-elect their offenders. Every one of the Democrats offenders, if they ran, were chosen in their party's primary and 10 of 11 of these were elected in the general election to return to office. On the Republican side, 5 of 9 that ran won their primary re-election bids and only 1 of those actually won the general election - and the one resigned shortly after re-enter office. If you count up the years of continued service after re-election between the two parties you can determine a total of 61 years of continued representation by Democrat offenders vs less than half a year of continued service by Republican offenders. Gerry Studs, who even admitted to relations with a 17 year old boy, was re-elected and served 12 more years in the House.

I'm not using this to defend Foley, but to show the hyprocrisy of the Democratic political response to this. Sexual scandals of all flavors are not limited to any one party, but the Democrats continually allow their offenders to continue to hold office and even elevate them to positions of leadership.

I'm not using this to defend Foley, but to show the hyprocrisy of the Democratic political response to this. Sexual scandals of all flavors are not limited to any one party, but the Democrats continually allow their offenders to continue to hold office and even elevate them to positions of leadership.

You're so right. Instead of flagellating themselves about this, the Pubbies ought to go on the offensive and point out exactly whoat you've pointed out, plus mentioning Bill Cinton and Teddy, "the Swimmer" Kennedy.

From CNN: Once considered a bright prospect for joining other Kennedys in a political career, Michael [Kennedy] suffered a fall from grace ... when it was alleged he had an affair with his family's underage baby sitter.

Ever notice...1) Republicans are "pedophiles" when they send salacious emails to 16 year-old boys who are old enough to legally have sex, but 2) Democrats "have affairs" when they have physical relationships with 14-year-old underage girls.

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